Stories for You
by Alimoe
Summary: I'm not really good at this… but I was encouraged to try talking to you. I was told that you might return to us sooner if I did. I figured it was worth a try. … Y'know, you never really left me. I saw you in the dark realm, your light… and your darkness.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Kingdom Hearts BBS, or Disney characters/settings, etc. Just a fan. \o/

_**Spoilers**__:_ _A fragmentary passage_ aka the Secret Episode from BBS Final Mix.

_A/N_: My one-shot turned into a multi-chapter fic... (My muses wouldn't leave me alone, but I suppose that's a good thing.) – You can read a lengthier A/N in the next chapter: my original one-shot.

*** Story told from Aqua's POV. ***

_**Assumptions**_:  
>- Aqua discovers the castle before finding the Dark Margin and talking to a cloaked Ansem the wise. (I'm fairly sure that's canon.)<br>- The light that shined through then the darkness pouring into the portal represented the door to the heart of Radiant Garden opening and the walls of the worlds collapsing (as described in Ansem Report 5+)  
>- Aqua's adventures during this section of the dark realm runs parallel to the events in the realm of light described in Ansem Reports 5 onwards.<br>- King Mickey is in the dark realm during this time searching for the Kingdom Key D and Aqua's time in the dark realm will spill over to run parallel to the events of KHI.

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><p>Terra…<p>

I-I'm not really good at _this_… but I was encouraged to try talking to you. I was told that talking would make a "_**HUGE**_" difference, and that you might return to us quicker. Heh, I figured it was worth a try.

Hmm, this should feel more natural, but… I still feel like there's a barrier between us… Erg! I'm sure this isn't what they had in mind!

Please know, I still believe in you, Terra. I still believe in our connection! The thing is… I don't know what to say, or where to start!

There's been… so much that happened, both to me and here in the realm of light. I always had my wayfinder beside me; I always thought about you and Ven. _Especially_ you. I knew Ven was safe, but I didn't know where you were. When I sent your body back to the realm of light, I had hoped that your heart had seized control. But…

…

I didn't know how wounded your heart was. You needed time to heal; time to rest.

Well… I guess you still need that.

…

Y'know… you never really left me.

I saw you in the dark realm. I saw your light… and your darkness.

Heh, maybe I'll start there… The first time I saw you…

I had just defeated a dark-hunter creature, when I stumbled upon a castle in the darkness. It was Cinderella's castle: The Castle of Dreams…

**[**_**Continued**_**…]**


	2. The Castle of Dreams

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Kingdom Hearts BBS, or Disney characters/settings, etc. Just a fan. \o/

_**Spoilers**__:_ _A fragmentary passage_ aka the Secret Episode from BBS Final Mix.

_A/N_: Set after we leave Aqua staring at The Castle of Dreams from "A fragmentary passage". Told from Aqua's POV.

Since Terra is the one "lost in memory", I thought it would be fun to extend that idea a bit. And I find it funny how they picked the Castle of Dreams, when they could've picked Sleeping Beauty's castle, or Snow White's cottage/castle to show how the worlds were falling into darkness. Since the Castle of Dreams was such an important world to Terra I extended the idea to be that he would have lingering feelings there – a lingering memory…. I had to write it.

You can read this story in two ways, reading the _dialog_ _in italics_ or ignoring the dialog. It's written so that both works.

_**Assumptions**_:  
>- Aqua discovers the castle before finding the Dark Margin and talking to a cloaked Ansem the wise. (I'm fairly sure that's canon.)<br>- The light that shined through then the darkness pouring into the portal represented the door to the heart of Radiant Garden opening and the walls of the worlds collapsing (as described in Ansem Report 5+)  
>- Aqua's adventures during this section of the dark realm runs parallel to the events in the realm of light described in Ansem Reports 5 onwards.<br>- King Mickey is in the dark realm during this time searching for the Kingdom Key D and Aqua's time in the dark realm will spill over to run parallel to the events of KHI.

* * *

><p>The Castle of Dreams was empty as I walked through the corridors. Well… not exactly <em><span>empty<span>_. Only the residents of darkness, I was told they're called 'Heartless', resided inside the castle walls. I called for Cinderella, the Prince, and the Grand Duke, but none came…

You can imagine my surprise when I saw _You_ running past me. You_;_ running underneath the foyer staircase.

"_Terra!"_ I called for you.

But you didn't stop.

"_Where are you going…?"_

I ran after you, and was faced with several Heartless trying to stop me. With renewed energy I fought them, hitting them just enough to clear the path to reach you. I saw you head towards the direction of the balcony, but by the time I reached it you weren't there. I looked around until I finally heard your voice taunt me down below. _"Down here!"_

It seems you had already jumped down. Your keyblade was drawn, and pointing in front of you. You seemed to say something as you shifted your head back a bit before looking forward and striking your normal battle stance.

I think I was still in a state of shock at that point. I hadn't seen that stance in what felt like ages, and the last time I saw your body in that stance, your coloring was different and your heart foreign.

"_Terra!"_

I shouted your name as I jumped down, but you didn't turn. Your eyes were focused, and you started attacking the air around you…

It was then that I started realizing what I was seeing. It wasn't really you, only the residual memory of you in the castle. I dropped to my knees, clutching my heart. Somehow it was like I was a kid being taunted here in the darkness.

"_Terra…"_

I muttered your name as a large dark creature rose out of the ground behind me. It had yellow eyes that seemed to glow in contrast to its dark skin, tentacle-like hair, long muscular arms ending in a sharp set of claws, and a giant hole in the middle shaped like a heart. To be honest, I didn't want to fight; I was so tired at that point. Still… placing my hands on the ground I hoisted myself up to a fighting stance, summoning my keyblade,

and I asked for your help. _"Terra… You, and Ven helped me defeat this thing before. Please, Terra…"_

And as though you somehow heard the desperation or exhaustion in my voice, your figure ran by the creature's side.

You shouted to me, _"Let's go!"_, before starting a combo attack. Your keyblade did no damage to the creature's small wing, and your target must've moved because your attacks moved away from the dark-monster. But… hearing your voice. It was all the support I needed.

"_Right!" _…And so I fought the creature.

We never sought violence, did we Terra? You, Ven, and I, we were always peacekeepers. Fighting was needed to protect the ones we loved. But, after hearing your encouragement, I was actually happy to fight this time. In a way… It was like you were fighting with me. Like we were a team again.

Hearing your fighting grunts, _"Hooah!"_

or you casting magic… _"Thunder!"_

Hearing your taunting, _"Want some?"_

or minor victories… _"Take that!"_

… It made me happy. And in the midst of battle against my unknown enemy,

I smiled.

I didn't even have time to process how foreign it felt; instead I focused on my enemy and hit with all the precision earned from experience. You danced around the ballroom swinging your keyblade and, occasionally, it looked like you hit the dark creature – helping me.

My battle was soon won, and so I just watched you: jumping, swinging, chasing after your invisible foe. I could tell you were near the end. You always had an increased intensity about you when you were near the end of a battle, and sure enough, I was right.

"_Say goodbye!"_ I didn't want to hear the last words you spoke to your enemy. I was afraid once your battle was over you'd disappear. I immediately ran up to you,

"_No! Terra! Don't go!"_ …and shouted your name.

Of course, I knew it wouldn't do any good – you can't interact with the remnants of a memory – but it seemed like you listened to me. Your feet landed back on solid ground, and you took a deep breath before looking up – directly at me.

While slightly transparent, seeing your cobalt eyes look into mine struck me. Your eyes were always so sincere.

"_Terra... Thank you."_

I'm not sure why, but I thanked you. Thanked your lingering memory for somehow staying in the castle.

"_Heh,"_ To my surprise, you quietly acknowledged me, and simply smiled back.

"_Terra… What has become of the worlds?"_

I wonder… Did you hear my question? Because you turned your head away, a grin still on your features, your eyes knowing,

"_Well don't give up just yet."_

I looked towards the curtains where you were looking at, but whatever once caught your glaze existed no more.

"_Terra,"_ I turned back around, but you were gone.

I looked around, but the glow I felt in my heart must've attracted the Heartless as soon many of those humanoid dark forms with long antennas began forming around me.

I was distracted with them when I heard your voice cutting through.

"_Maybe just believing is enough."_

You were watching me, well… technically, looking into the ballroom, and smiling once again. You chuckled a little, a sound that both cut and healed my heart before you turned back around, and looked at the balcony.

I nodded and understood – this was a loop. Cutting past the dark creatures I headed towards the grand balcony, needing to leave.

But you were there.

I walked up right beside you as you looked from where Cinderella was once running towards the door, to where my figure once stood, and you shouted my name.

"_Aqua!"_

I didn't see it those many years ago, but you smiled a coy boyish grin when calling to me, it made my heart wring. I ran down the staircase with you and you disappeared towards the end of the steps. I looked back up, wondering if this memory would repeat too.

It didn't. In fact, instead I saw you running beneath the foyer staircase resuming the place where I first saw you.

At the time I wondered if you knew that I was leaving, if some part of your soul was connected to your memory fragment and you wanted to wish me goodbye the only way you could. I didn't know until later that the stronger memory prevailed; that you must've felt a stronger emotion when shouting my name and running down to meet me than you did when going after your battle.

I used to reflect back, wondering why those were the memories you relived. But Cinderella had quite an impact on you, didn't she? She helped you believe, you fought to protect her, and you didn't want her to give up on her dream because you believed it too. Right, Terra?

As for shouting my name… Well, you were probably eager to share the intel you gathered. That's probably why you were excited to see me. … Right? … … …

Heh… Even now, it's actually somewhat painful to think it might've been my wishful alternative. I want to ask you… someday I will.

The memory of that loop in Cinderella's castle would always give me strength. But that's exactly why I had to leave.

I knew I couldn't visit again, not while in the dark realm. It was far too tempting to just watch your residual memory and pretend it was really you. Far too inviting to just stay there and listen to you speak, watch you move, hear you call my name…

I wouldn't settle for just a fragmented memory of you, Terra. But your memory did give me strength when I needed it; just like when we were kids, you would somehow know how to cheer me up.

Once I gained enough distance, I looked back at the Castle of Dreams, clutching my blue wayfinder in my hand.

"_I still believe the three of us will find a way…" _

Looking down at it, for the first time since the odd portal opened up, my wayfinder started to glow.

"_I won't give up, Terra. I promise!"_

And I continued walking deeper into the realm of darkness…

**[Continued...]**

* * *

><p><em>AN:_ I did re-watch the scenes from Terra's story to get the dialog, and even timed Aqua's responses to length of what the Grand Duke said to account for timing.

I hoped you enjoyed!


	3. The Enchanted Dominion

**_Disclaimer_**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts BBS, or Disney characters/settings, etc. Just a fan. \o/

_**Spoilers**__:_ _(See first 2 chapters)_

_**Assumptions**_: _(See first 2 chapters)_

You can read this story in two ways: reading the _dialog_ _in italics_ (dialog in memory) or ignoring the _dialog in italics_. It's written so that both works. Dialog not in italics was quoted by narrator to the audience.

* * *

><p>As I wandered through the darkness, I didn't expect to see any other worlds from the realm of light. But I was wrong…<p>

As I continued forward I stumbled into an area of darkness that looked like a thick forest. The trees in the realm of darkness aren't like the trees here, Terra. They're not plush with leaves that change with the seasons, but twisted, bare, and lanky. But the trees from the realm of darkness began to change, and as I continued forward I started to distinguish them as the thorns from the Enchanted Dominion. Just as I began to recognize it, there it was: Aurora's castle.

"_No…"_

I couldn't help but to fall onto my legs, feeling the cold stones underneath. I kept shaking my head and asking myself, "How could this happen? We fought so hard; how could this happen?"

Prince Philip and I fought so valiantly against that witch, that dragon, that demon of a woman. The power of true love defeated her, but seeing the castle in front of me at that moment, I felt defeated. I felt like true love was defeated. And if darkness could overcome love, then nothing was sacred.

All I could imagine was her wicked form standing above me, her laughter taunting me… I could practically see her, Terra, with her arms outstretched, showing those rags of a black cape looking like the wings of her dragon form, and her staff glowing bright green in her hand; I could practically hear her whisper in my heart…

"_Foolish child, did you really think something as insignificant as 'love' could really defeat me? It seems you are the one who knows nothing of love: how fickle and weak it is. Look at your own heart, and see how quickly you turned on Terra. You pretended to defend him but you really doubted him all that time. You weren't there when he needed you the most, when he needed you to confide in. How __easily__ you gave up. Face the truth child, it is __you__ that pushed Terra to turn to the darkness!"_

They were… they were such dark words, and it felt like it was binding my heart in a chain. I… I struggled with those words while I was in the darkness, and even though Riku helps me, to a small degree I still struggle with it now… Terra, I was wrong, darkness isn't just hate and rage…

As I heard her voice whisper to me, I fell further onto the ground; grasping the stone bridge with one hand while the other was holding onto my heart. My breathing was getting heavy; it was getting hard to focus…

"_Aqua!"_

But then, I heard you call my name, just like when we were in the Castle of Dreams. I raised my head and looked around, but I couldn't find you. With my right hand I grabbed my wayfinder from my pocket, and saw it glowing blue before fading.

"_Terra? Was that you?"_

I returned my wayfinder back into my pocket; the light it emitted gave me enough strength to return my gaze back towards the castle. The castle itself still had some light, just like the Castle of Dreams did, it was just enough light to distinguish it as a world truly belonging in the other realm. But within that dim light, I could see another light peeking out from a window.

"_Terra!"_

Naturally, I thought it was you. I summoned my keyblade into my right hand, and gathered all my strength into swinging it in front of me.

"_You are __not_ _going to control me!"_

The air my keyblade swung through was dense, suggesting that something must've been there, but I couldn't see a figure. Even still, the mental image of Maleficent faded and I was finally able to catch my breath in peace.

I looked up to the window with the light. Light in the darkness doesn't last long so I knew I had to investigate. My heart pounded so intensely against my chest. I hoped it was you, even if it was just another memory; I really wanted to see you, Terra.

I raced across the stone bridge and stared at the large castle doors. Before, when I visited this world, I never actually went inside. It was slightly intimidating. I opened the door and stepped into a ballroom. It was beautiful, large columns and a wide dance floor, arcs made of stone. The wall drapes were tall and narrow while the remaining doorways were short and wide. I ran up the small and numerous stairs before walking under the archway and into the hall.

I was surprised by the absence of heartless in the castle. I had expected to at least see those humanoid heartless, I think Jiminy's journal called them Neo-Shadows, but none came. As I walked through the hallway, I came across a window. I closed my eyes and imagined that warm, bright world I departed from with fresh green grass, leaves on trees, and rolling hills in the background. I imagined birds chirping in happiness and vast cloudless blue skies. I tried my best to remember how things were in the realm of light but, when I opened my eyes, all I could see was darkness.

It was then that I felt an odd presence again. I quickly turned around and saw a cloaked figure. It, or as I later found out, _he_ was hunched over giving the posture of an old man, his brown hood covering his face. I knew it couldn't be you, but I thought maybe another resident of light was trapped in the realm of darkness like me.

"_Hello?" _I called out to the figure and he glanced at me.

"_My name is Aqua, are you trapped in the realm of darkness too?" _

No sooner than I introduced myself the hooded figure quickly turned away and walked through the wooden door to the left.

"_What?" _

I instantly ran towards the doorway and tried to open the door only to be blocked by a shield of darkness.

Terra, remember how we never used locks back home? The Master said we use locks to protect something precious, or to hide secrets. We were safe at home, so we never needed to lock a door to protect ourselves and if we were trying to hide something the Master would naturally be suspicious and investigate. I figured locking the door with a shield of darkness meant that whatever was inside must've been very precious and needed protection. As I raised my keyblade and released the shield I tried to prepare myself for a potential confrontation ahead, and the possibility that something or someone needed to be rescued. But despite my hopes for seeing your memory, I couldn't have predicted that it was you that needed to be protected.

As I opened the door I saw the man in the brown hood glowing with dark blue energy,

"_Excuse m-"_

…but then I saw him standing in your memory and I instinctively swung my still drawn keyblade.

"_- Get AWAY from HIM!"  
><em>

He gracefully retreated back to a corner; it was like he had no feet – well… I guess I know better now. The hood of his coat was tightly closed shut. Beneath the hood were two dark brown straps that crossed with five metal studs lining each; it seemed to secure the hood in place or keep something protected.

I looked at your lingering memory, and could easily see through you. While your last memory was slightly transparent, you looked solid, it was only if I looked closely could I barely see past you. But this memory… you were almost entirely transparent, and I could barely make out your actions or hear your voice.

"_No…"_ I turned my attention back to that hooded man, demanding answers. _"What did you do? What did you __do__ to him?"_

The cloaked figure spoke to me, his voice was young and strong, but something was missing, it was… deep and _dark_.

"_That thing you're protecting is of no importance."_

"_That __thing__, as you call it, is a memory of my friend, __Terra__, and I will protect him! I will __always__ protect Terra."_

"_Terra, you say? That thing is merely a battery intended for my use."_

"_You're wrong! It's Terra! Now, give him back! __**Give back whatever you took from him!**__"_

"_Heh, foolish child. So ignorant to this world."_

He called your memory a battery, and easily waved me off. He opened a dark portal behind him, it seemed similar to the portal we go through to reach the lanes in-between so I knew he was trying to escape. Of course, I couldn't just let him go. I rolled on the ground and dodged my way in between him and his exit.

"_NO__! You are __NOT__ leaving until you give back what you stole from Terra!"_

I swung my keyblade at him to little avail. He kept gracefully jumping back, dodging my attacks. As I swung my keyblade I kept shouting at him, "Give Terra back", my frustrating growing.

"_Give Terra back!"_ I'd swing, and miss.

"_Give him back!"_ I'd swing again, only to be out maneuvered.

"_GIVE TERRA BACK!"_ But I kept up my blind assault,

"_**TERRA**__!"_ …until I finally shouted your name, a tear streaming down my cheek.

The cloaked figure suddenly stopped at this and crippled forward, his left draping sleeve grasping his chest. I raised my blade above my head eager to take advantage of his state of confusion.

"_W-what? What are you-? No you're supposed to be-" _

But I couldn't strike him. Deep down my heart was stilling crying your name and I felt like it was reaching out to you - seeing you within that cloaked figure. My posture eased slightly and I asked, "Terra? Is that you?"

The hooded figure looked at me for an instant before struggling to look away.

"_N-no! I have… I have control…" _

"_Terra! It's me, Aqua!"_ I called out to you, the you I could feel in my heart. Shakily your right arm tried to reach out, a subtle orange glow surrounding it.

"_A….qua…" _It was faint, but I could hear your voice.

"_No! Where-where did you come from? G-go back; go back to sleep!"_ The hooded figure's left arm was trying to restrain yours. He never said your name, but I knew it had to be you!

"_Terra, fight it! Terra, please come back to me! Ven and I… We're waiting for you!"_

The light around your arm grew stronger and waves of the orange energy were traveling across the room, through me, and back to where your faint memory stood beside the bed.

"_A…qua…"_ Your voice traveled, calling my name; I'm still unsure if I heard it in my heart or in the physical world.

"_No! Y-your heart is no-no more. All hearts are born of d-darkness and so they all shall return to… darkness."_ As the hooded figure tried to regain control, he started emitting a dark blue energy, trying to return back to his hunched stance, _"Return to me." _He commanded for you to return back to him.

"_Don't listen, Terra!"_

And for a moment, there was just silence, and the feeling of warm orange light passing through my body. I felt both safe with your light yet terrified that I lost you. Where was your voice?

"_Terra!" _In that stagnant silence I called your name once, it echoed off the stone walls and returned hollow in my ears.

Then I finally heard it.

"_Aqua…"_ I heard you call my name, your voice heavy with pain. I followed the path of the orange light, turned my head around, and saw _you_. Your memory was no longer going through motions, but you were complete and acting on your own will. Your figure was couched low to the ground, left arm holding your chest, eyes flickering between strength and agony, and your right hand was shakily reaching out toward me. _"Aqua…"_

A few tears fell down my cheek upon seeing your form. I turned around completely, dismissing my keyblade and abandoning the brown figure to kneel by your side.

"Terra! I'm here. I'm with you." I said, my hands shaky too, but my resolve firm as I clasped your right hand within both of mine. You were real: your hand was solid. Another tear streamed down my face and I could feel your arm shake, trying to will it upwards. I smiled, raised your hand to my cheek, and you stroked the tear away with your thumb.

Your face, still surrounded by orange light, struggled between pain and a smile, "Some-sometimes you're such a girl." You teased, and did your best to form a smirk to match that glint of playfulness in your eyes that I've missed.

I picked up the line like an old routine, "Hey, what do you mean sometimes?" I smiled as another tear of joy ran down my face and I held your hand more tightly.

"_Heh."_ You let out a small laugh and looked at me fondly before I saw an extensive pain flash across your eyes. Your face dropped to look at the ground again, and your left hand grasped your chest even tighter.

"_Terra?"_ I once again summoned my keyblade, my left hand never letting go of your right. _"Heal!"_ I tried using Curaga, but it had no effect.

The orange light that flowed into you seemed to slow down. Your eyebrows scrunched together, I think you knew what was going to happen. You raised your head to look at me and somehow managed a smile. _"Aqua, I-I'm… erg… I'm with you too. Always."_

For one moment, one _amazing_ moment, it felt like the world was coming back together. It felt like I had my light. You were real, there were no walls between us, and you were smiling at me; but then I heard a clamor from behind me and saw the hooded figure, his dark blue light fully ablaze, reach out to that dark portal, his deep voice mumbling.

"_I can't… let this happen… I must have it…"_

I fully admit that my head wasn't working as quickly as it should've, and it seemed like I could see the orange light being snuffed out in slow motion. I looked at you, and you glared at the hooded figure with a passionate resolution in your eyes. I felt you squeeze my hand, and then I felt my hand slip right through.

"_Terra?"_ Out of shock, I called for you. Slowly, your figure was vertical, mostly solid, but slightly transparent.

"_What did I do?" _Your legs shuffled, turning around, in a way it almost seemed like you were scared,_ "What did __you__ do?" _Your voice sounded betrayed but both it and your actions were now rote.

"_A memory now…"_ Looking at the ground, I barely whispered the truth to myself, the pain too heavy. I looked back at the cloaked figure, his dark blue light now fading, looking less like a wild fire and more controlled.

"What did you do?" I shouted, holding out my keyblade but my legs refusing to stand.

"_That was… most unexpected… It appears that would have been an interesting case to study… a body-less soul reacting to remnants of a faded heart… but it will never happen again."_

He ignored my demand and instead walked into the dark portal. But, his musings before he left… that was the first time I heard of your lingering memories be referred to as your "soul". Of course, at that time, I had no idea what that meant.

"_Erg!"_ I slammed my fist on the ground, angry at my weakness. It's a little hazy, but I think I cried a little…. I just remember feeling immense grief, knowing that I lost you again.

I eventually got up, and sat on the corner of Princess Aurora's bed, by then I heard that memory loop enough times that I wanted to see it for myself. It was hard to watch, but… it gave me a clearer understanding of what you struggled with in the realm of light.

Terra, you never stole Princess Aurora's heart on your own free will, your eyes were glazed over and your body rigid. You were right, you were possessed; but you were also too trusting of whoever was in the room with you. I wish I could have been there. You were struggling, and I didn't even have complete faith in you, I just… Heh, well, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Once I saw your memory loop, I left the room. I leaned against the door for a moment and pulled out my wayfinder. It glowed a beautiful blue color that felt so different from the dark blue energy I saw before.

I left the Enchanted Domain, promising myself that I would not return until I could see the light blue skies, lush tress, and rolling hills like I remembered.

**[Continued…]**

* * *

><p>AN: Maybe the "I'm with you" thing is Sora/Kairi-ish, but when Aqua said that to Terra in BBS it made me think of the parallels.

This fic takes a while to update (mainly because I revise it for what seems like weeks in between school work) but I hope it's worth the wait until the next chapter. : )


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